Mark here with some exciting news: we're live! Well, we're live in New Zealand, our test market. After all this time and effort it is incredibly gratifying to have our app out in the world.

It all happened somewhat unceremoniously over the weekend. Basically, the way it works with Apple is you submit your app for approval and then wait. A confirmation email is sent saying the app is "Waiting for Review". And then you wait. And wait. Once the reviewers get to it, the process moves very quickly. An email is sent saying it is being reviewed and within a couple hours....it's done!

We've just started to run several Facebook ads targeting the NZ market and will fine tune those as well as address any feedback/bugs that we find along the way. If you have any friends or acquaintances there, it probably goes without saying, but we'd certainly appreciate you spreading the word: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/a-defenders-tale/id776948844

Once we get all the final kinks worked out we'll be ready to launch in the US this summer. Oh, and Darci is very keen on doing a launch party in NYC. :) You're all invited of course.

Thank you once again for your support and patience.

Digitally speaking,
Mark

One of several Facebook ad images we are currently testing, in case you're curious!

Wanted to give you all a holler and let you know we really are close! We'll be submitting to the New Zealand app store in the next couple of weeks - we're planning to do a month long test in that market to make sure we catch any last kinks before we do the full release. As always, thanks for your patience. We're excited to share soon - home stretch!

Lots of progress over here with A Defender’s Tale. A few weeks ago Mark and I had a user testing… party? I guess it was a party. There was booze and pizza. There were a dozen of our friends lounging around my apartment. But instead of music and conversation, there were headphones and iPads and utter stillness and quiet while people read and played with our beta version of A Defender’s Tale. In a word, it was AWESOME! <3 to our user testing friends. We think you’re pretty spectacular.

Mark and I walked away with a list of things that need to be done and are still making our way through it, but we should be bug free and ready to launch in the next month or two.

We’ve also been talking to a few friends who specialize in app development and marketing. One of the things we’ve been told is to optimize the app in a small English speaking test market before launching in the US. So the new plan is to do that very thing in New Zealand, spend a month ironing out any last kinks, and then officially launch here. It’s getting close! We’re super jazz hands excited to share with you guys. ☺

In the meantime, it’s the holidays, and you guys have been so supportive and patient, we wanted to say thank you. We don’t have the app ready, but we do have a mini art book to share here. For those in the higher tiers, stay tuned. You’ll still be getting the complete art book, sounds, etc. Those will go out in the next day or two.

Remember that update we sent out a while ago? The one where I said we were ready for user testing? Well, I maaaay have been a little overzealous back then [Mark emphatically shakes his head in agreement], but we are finally organizing user testing now! If you have any interest in being a guinea pig, let us know! In the meantime, we wanted to introduce you all to a few characters.

Meet Pappathon, a card carrying member of the METS. You know, the Monkeys for the Ethical Treatment of Sunlight.

And The Smashley, who enjoys walks in the park, and smashing whatever she encounters along the way.

These are just a few of the many characters we can't wait for you to meet! More to come soon.